Natural Remedies for Sunburn Relief
Filed Under: Do It Yourself, Susatainable Living on June 15, 2009
Some of us get sunburns faster than others and all of us forget at least once during the summer months to wear sun screen or keep covered up. I know that for me, this usually happens on an overcast day when I figure it’s “OK” (which it never is). If you’re like me, you wonder how you can soothe that burn without using a bunch of nasty chemicals or questionable lotions and salves.
Well, never fear, sunburn relief is here!
There are a lot of great ways to naturally treat sunburns without resorting to chemicals, drugs, etc. Of course, if your burn is severe, you should seek medical help as these can be dangerous. For the occasional minor burn with the redness and inflammation it can bring (and later the soreness and itch), here are some great ways to take care of it naturally.
Herbal Remedies
Aloe Gel: Everyone knows about aloe vera, of course, and if you don’t have one of these plants growing in your house somewhere, you should. Just pick a stem (leaf?) and “smash” it like a roll of toothpaste to get the gel from it. Rub this into the affected skin. You can buy plants and already-squeezed gels from health stores and some pharmacies too.
Chamomile Tea Bath: Steep some chamomile in hot water or a kettle for about half an hour. Use about half a dozen bags (if you’re using tea) or a like amount in pure form. Then dump this tea (with or without the bags) into a cool bath. Soak yourself for at least half an hour. This is soothing on two levels: cool water on a hot day (with a hot burn) and the chamomile will soak into your skin and ease the pain.
Lavender Oil: Put about 8 drops in a water-glass-sized spray bottle or mister and spritz onto your sunburn. Keep the mist going as long as you can, repeatedly soaking the skin with the oil. Alternatively, you can dampen a cloth with it and rub it, but that could be a little painful.
Peppermint Oil: This works about the same way as Lavender, but you only need about twice as much in the mix. This works better if you rub it in using gauze or cheese cloth (softly).
Additionally, some people keep Calendula tincture, which is also a very good sunburn remedy. Spritz it in a light solution–a few drops per ounce of water.
Food-Based Remedies
Several sunburn remedies involve food, usually by placing it directly on the skin or making a poultice to smear on. Some will also occupy your children who’ll think you’ve gone nuts while others might make your mouth water. Here are some common ones, which can be adapted to what’s on hand in many cases.
Cucumbers: Most people know this one. The popular spa treatment of cut cucumbers on your skin works well with sunburn also. Take cool cukes, slice them, and place them on the affected areas until the cucumbers are warm. Then eat.
Potato: Nearly any kind of potato, though white or bakers work best, can be sliced or grated and placed on the affected areas. Rub a little, if it doesn’t hurt too much to do it, and work the starch over your skin as a smear. This sooths the pain. Then throw the used potatoes in the stew.
Strawberries: Mash these into a poultice and smear it over the sunburn. If your dog is gentle, let it lick the strawberries off after they’ve warmed. Otherwise, let your kids do it.
Vinegar: Specifically apple cider vinegar, though grape wine vinegar can also work. Not mentioned in my article about the great uses for Apple Cider Vinegar was this little cure. Just dampen a cloth with the vinegar and rub it over your sunburn. Let it dry on its own and you’ll feel the heat go with it.
Other popular food remedies include yogurt, green tea, and my other favorite: ice.
So if you forget to avoid sunburn this year (which you will), hopefully some of these remedies will help you take care of it. Naturally!
Good tips Aaron – for natural remedies to soothe sunburned skin (sometimes we do not monitor how much time we are at the beach)!
Prevent sunburns if you can, but also do not totally block out the sunshine (sunscreens block out UVA and UVB rays essentially for body’s production of Vitamin D).
5 to 10 mins of sunshine (is all you need daily) – helps the body to produce Vitamin D your body needs. :)
Thanks a ton, Kelly! Great points that I didn’t include here and definitely worth noting. For anyone reading who hasn’t clicked on Kelly’s name yet, do so. Follow her on Twitter, she’s awesome! :)